Coach tells fans to lay off Bell

Charlotte -- Milwaukee coach Larry Krystkowiak issued a plea to fans who attend games at the Bradley Center after the Bucks rallied in the final minutes for a 93-89 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday.

Lay off guard Charlie Bell.

Bell, who scored a season-high 27 points in Sunday's victory, has been a favorite target of hecklers this season at the Bradley Center.

"Charlie has been great," said Krystkowiak. "He struggles at home. And I understand that everyone has their right as a fan ... but I think a lot of media that went on this summer over his situation has made some people in the stands a little salty. From an inside position, I would ask people to maybe lighten up on him a little bit at home because if they're truly Bucks fans and they want us to win, we're going to need him at home too."

It was probably Bell's comments over the summer more than it was the media that soured some fans on Bell as he did say at one point late in the summer as his contract situation was dragging on that he was no longer interested in playing in Milwaukee.

Because he didn't have a contract, Bell didn't work out over the summer as much as he normally would and he has been trying to get himself in a groove all season. After Sunday's game, Bell was averaging 4.8 points per game on 30.6% shooting

"It's been a little bit hard for him (at home), but he loves getting out on the road," said Krystkowiak. "He talked about that, in Miami and here, and he's going to need to work through it because obviously we have half our games at home so he needs to figure something out but this should be a great boost for him and his confidence. Hopefully he can continue to build on it."

Bell made 11 of 18 shots Sunday, including 1 of 3 from three-point range, and all four of his free throws in 28 minutes off the bench. He also had six rebounds.

"Sometimes when you get on the road, you get that "us-against-the-world" mentality," said Bell. "You just go out there and you can play hard and you don't have to worry about the little things getting into your head. At home, it's been difficult for me this season as far as the summer time and everything. A lot of fans, when I start missing a couple, they start to get on the edge of their seats a little bit. You want to play well, but it's just the pressure at home. I'm trying to build some confidence on the road and go home and try to keep it going."